


Cousu de fil rouge

by Chry (hoarhsoyriz), zostir



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Karatoga (IDOLiSH7), Alternate universe - Mafia, Betrayal, Black Markets, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Forest Haven, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, In which humans play pokemon with yokais, M/M, Spiritual, Violence, Yokais
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21559399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoarhsoyriz/pseuds/Chry, https://archiveofourown.org/users/zostir/pseuds/zostir
Summary: Hikagemachi is a town where human clans called Katanashu use yokais as weapons to win their fights and assert their dominance. Uta is one of them, one of these clansmen who let their fate lay on his yokai partner's shoulders. However, he never expected he would lose Karasutengu in one of their battles.He knows the rules: the loser has to give his yokais to the winner. He has to let Karasutengu go.... Except he won't.
Relationships: Isumi Haruka/Natsume Minami, Momo & Isumi Haruka, Momo/Yuki (IDOLiSH7), Ousaka Sougo & Yotsuba Tamaki
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello guess who agreed to write a karatoga au even though they're busy and have several other wips? yes that's me, elios........  
> when chry said "let's write a fic together" i couldn't resist the opportunity since i love them and i love idolish7 and i love momo and haruka. please keep in mind that we drafted everything back in october and we didn't take into account anything that was revealed later on. the characters are based on both the karatoga ones and their canon counterparts, and the plot is rather different. it's quite a dark fic, but it's also very interesting so i hope you'll enjoy this one!
> 
> I confess, I have a lot of bad ideas. Among them: pushing away my own fics to ask sorano if they want to write some dark spiritual fantasy with our cuties, just because the Karatoga event is too gorgeous to resist... (desite the fact that I never write in English so they have to correct my mistakes and I'm so grateful, please be indulgent ;o;) And I regret nothing. I love you too <3  
> We have a great pleasure thinking about then writing this story and I hope you'll feel the same ~

_A flash of red came out before his eyes. It was a sudden burst of colour, an unexpected one - he wasn't supposed to be on the wrong side of the battlefield, after all. His hand was on the pommel of his sabre, but his feet were stuck to the ground. He wasn't swift enough to protect himself against something so inhuman. Blinded by crimson, with ice in his veins and bitterness in his mouth, he briefly wondered if this was how he was supposed to die._  
_Then stains of darkness invaded his sight - they seemed to have the same shape as familiar black leaves, and a wave of relief washed over him._  
_"Ka-"_  
_He couldn't finish the name. He heard a loud bang, and the silver threads of the yokai's hair escaped from the ribbon tying them. They were tainted with the same carmine as the light - but of another kind, the kind of red that flowed out of injuries. The dark fan flew out of his hand._  
_The human watched him fall like a log, heavy on the soil, eyes closed and beautiful kimono dirtied by his defeat._  
_He cried his name. However, his own voice couldn't break the veil of stupor clouding his ears, and when the men stepped in to take the yokai away from him, he didn't resist._

Kuzunoha Ramen has always been his haven, the place Uta likes to go when he's tired and hungry and he needs to be cheered up. It feels like a safe space between two worlds: the smell of fried tofu, the laughs shared by yokais and humans alike, the soft voice of the owner telling stories from older times and the most recent gossips of the Katanashu traded for a bit of attention, he holds all of them in his heart. But today is a bit different. Today, the laughs are tamed. Today, the only voices you can hear belong to the humans.  
Kyubi no Kitsune sits next to him, absentmindedly fiddling with the two small bells closing his capelet. When he opens his mouth, he speaks in a low tone, almost imperceptible, so that only Uta and the other person at their table can understand him. Since Uta's defeat, his opal eyes always bear the same glint of fury. Kyubi no Kitsune is a benevolent yokai, one who isn't fond of the Katanashu's methods but still tolerates them as long as his peers agreed to become a weapon. For him to be so angry, it means the loss has shaken him up to the core.

"Where's Onibi?" Uta asks. The redheaded yokai is often hanging out at Kuzunoha for dinner since he doesn't need to pay for his meal. Whatever the deal he made with Kyubi, he must be helping him out more than it looks. Uta figured he would like to take revenge, too.  
Kyubi no Kitsune barely shrugs. "I believe he's sulking somewhere. He lost his precious friend, you can't really blame him if he's erratic."  
He always is, Uta thinks; it's nothing new. The human looks back at the new face. From the looks of things, the third guest appears to be a male teenager, with mint hair and golden eyes, with the body of a human but the clothes of a yokai. A mask hangs from his neck, and a mark on his bare arm is the only hint of his true nature. This is the Boar kemonotsuki, one of those immortal spirits inhabiting human bodies, and when Kyubi no Kitsune told Uta, _I can put you in contact with a mercenary who might help you_ , he wasn't expecting to meet one of them.  
"Anyway, I shall make the introductions. Sana, this man is Uta. He is part of the Katanashu, but I can vouch for him if necessary, he's a nice man. Uta, you must have realized who you are dealing with. Their name is Sana, and they don't mind working for humans as long as they are paid appropriately."  
Uta bows his head, and Sana replies with a slight nod. Their face has an amused expression. "Well, if you're katanashu, I guess money isn't a problem for you."  
Uta smiles. "Sure." The thing is, he's working alone on this case, and if Hanabusa hears that he decided to act on his own in spite of his warning, he's good for retribution. However, money is not an issue at all. He has plenty of it, and without his partner, nothing to spend on.

When Kyubi no Kitsune saw Uta passing Kuzunoha's entrance a few days ago, he straightaway figured out what had happened. His ether blood froze at the very moment he made out the shade of the human's eyes, a haze as dark as the ghost of his absent companion, or as the color of defeat - yet he didn't say anything. Acted as he ever do. This had to happen one day, and the day had come, though he didn't think he'd react that way. _Humans' issues belong to humans, even if some of them are close to us, yokai_ , he used to maintain; the fact that another yokai was implied in their dangerous conflict doesn't change his beliefs. Notwithstanding, he listened to Uta. As ever. And once the katanashu had explained - his regrets weighing his tongue down - the Nine-Tailed Fox thought ahead to some reinforcement. Neither for the swordman's sake nor for his colleagues to get their revenge back, no: he didn't think about any of them, these so peculiar human beings. Kyubi no Kitsune only had to picture Karasutengu in his mind, trapped by a competing gang, his silvered hair trailing in dust, his slender wrists grazed by rough chains, and his decision was made.

As for Uta, he doesn't even need to imagine the scene. Now that he was here, he remembers perfectly the reason why he isn't able to look into Sana's savage eyes without craving for his partner's return. Anything he sees, anywhere he goes remind him of the Great Raven, but also of his fault and the weakness that cost him the last fight. He doesn't hate the Wild Boar; he hates his own face's reflection he can watch in their fierce glance, because they tell him _you're safe here_ , and he knows Karasutengu is not.  
"So, if I'm right", the kemonotsuki summarises, "you played with fire, got burnt by backslash and you'd like me to be your, what? new flamethrower or any anti-inflammatory balm? Let's say I can do both. It just costs more."  
Although Kyubi no Kitsune stays silent in the background, he believes Sana wasn't a poor choice for this job. Aside from the fact that they're pretty smart as a mercenary - despite the common opinion that kemonotsuki are only soulless beasts - he sees in them a kind of a soft insolence, an impertinent character he had also noticed more than once in Uta's figure. In another world, maybe these two could have been something else than a soldier and a weapon. Something else than a controversial clansman and a cursed spirit.  
Uta nods, compliant.  
"No need to heal my wounds, thanks. I'm behaving against my wakagashira's will. In this deal, I'm alone so as long as you help me bringing back our lost yokai, I'm fine with everything you will ask for retribution."  
Such business is risky. But the human is desperate and the other's gaze sparkles like a stray star, sharp and wild.  
"So revenge is what you seek, uh?" Sana asks.  
Uta said it: he isn't acting as a member of Katanashu, but as an individual. And revenge is a strong word to describe his motives. Revenge - an ugly feeling, unfitted of a man who swore to follow the rules and pledged his loyalty to Hanabusa. Yet, as he's getting ready to break his oath, he can't imagine taking revenge on anyone, even if this "anyone" is Kasane. Or, at least, not playing an active role in it. Sana seems like the kind of person who wouldn't mind dirtying their hands if they need to.  
"All I want is for Karasutengu to come back by my side. I don't care about the other part. If you deem necessary to hurt them, I won't complain."  
"You humans are fascinating", Sana whispers. They look away, their eyes landing on Kyubi no Kitsune, who keeps a poker face and doesn't move an inch. "You use yokais to fight in your place, but the second you lose your precious toy, you forget all your principles. Who cares if the enemy dies, right? And you still ask us non-humans to solve your problems, because you're not fond of having real blood on your hands."  
Uta isn't fazed by the insult. It is fair; at this point in his life, there's nothing he can do to make amends. He can't be forgiven for the many yokais he's lost before, the ones he almost killed because of his selfishness; he deserves these words.  
There is, however, one point that he cannot let the mercenary say. "Karasutengu is not a toy. He is the man I swore I'd spend my life with."  
Sana stares at him. "In fifty years, you'll be six feet under, and your partner will still have to live without you."  
Kyubi no Kitsune chuckles. "Now, now, Sana. Remember who was a human fifty years ago?"  
Sana winces. "Anyway, as I said, I don't care about your motives. If you don't work for the Katanashu, then it's even better. I don't like them, they're tricky." But they would have agreed to the deal nonetheless, Uta understands this much. They are the kind to hold grudges they never act upon.  
"Then you'll take it on?"  
"Actually, there's still an issue. If I have to fight against one of the best katanashus, then I need support. I don't expect your weak help at all, but I can't guarantee my peers will lend me a hand."  
Is it the visible youth of the Boar Spirit or their deceitful familiarity that give them this subtle arrogance? Uta can't say, though it doesn't bother him; he used to believe kemonotsukis were creatures prompt to abuse others' weaknesses, especially from humans, but this one seems to be more impish than the katanashu thought. Their words clink against each other with a harsh yet gentle note. _Can I really lean on them?_ Uta wonders. He didn't expect Sana to press some assistance into service either, but if it increases his chance of success, he will agree with anything they suggest.  
"When will we know if they accept?"  
Sana giggles and their laugh is crystal clear. "My, you're quite quick off the mark! You really want your bird to come back in his cage, don't you?" The swordman doesn't take offense - only frowns a little. "I'm going to ask them, okay, but their support isn't a promise. Let's meet again in two days, same place, same time. I get something."  
They hadn't finished their sentence that they were already standing; their movement was so light Uta briefly forgets they are kindred to a heavy beast, as they get a kick out of prejudices by moving with such a grace. By the way they look at him, a sparkle of mischief in their eyes, he knows they liked their effect and realizes that this mercenary is of a new kind, born from a fresh wind, their gesture made of mist. Always where they're not expected.  
With them, Uta thinks he may have a chance to save his companion. He wants to believe it.

"Are you sure you can trust them?" asks Kyubi no Kitsune once the kemonotsuki had vanished behind the red curtains of the ramen shop. "They are not the loyal type."  
"Said the one who recommended them?" Uta replies, distractedly. "Please don't worry about me: I trusted you when you told me you know someone who can help me and so I trust them too. For now. Bringing Karasutengu back is all that matters. They can let me down after if they desire, I won't care."  
His voice as he speaks is full of cold determination.

* * *

_There is a thick whiff of iron. A sultry, metallic smell all around him, and from time to time he hears water dripping in what he thinks to be a hallway running alongside the cells. The place is as black as ink, oppressive, as he could expected from the strongest Katanashu clan all over Hikagemachi. Nevertheless he isn't afraid for himself nor for his companions in misery: their calm breath permeates the silence next to him. He only fears for Uta. Thinking of his human partner makes his chest hurt like his wounds had never healed; his skin is smooth and yet he still feels the sharp-edged blade cutting through his heart each time he remembers him. What is he doing right now? Who is he with? For sure, if they meet again next time, it will be as enemies.  
Sorrowfully, he closes his eyes while Uta's smile is blooming behind his lids._

The Forest Shrine looks like a pale blue iris in the middle of the black sclera of the woods, set deep into the Spirit Realm's layers. Visitors are unwelcome under these shady trees and the sun can't almost break through their sooty leaves; its dimness colours space with misty rays just like slight scratches of daylight that caress Sana's hair as they walk to the Sanctuary. They know the way by heart: there's none. The single path to follow if you want to sink into the abyss is the one the White Snake allows you to take, since they are the abyss itself. The Boar Spirit appreciates the silence prevailing here. This forest feels like home to them - so they feel safe inside its dark nest. Sometimes, they even think it's too good to be true: the bluish gleam of the temple in front of them, the peaceful breath of the isolated realm, their warmth weaving behind the fusuma. Sana doesn't knock. They enter as they dive, without hesitation.

It only takes them two seconds before they find Shisei, lasciviously lazing on a courting bench, eyes closed, one hand resting on the back, the other lying on their forehead. As usual, there's a strong perfume pervading the air, a fragrance nothing akin to a snake, more like a blending of cinnamon and almond. When Sana drops by unannounced, Shisei usually wears floral scents, but when the Snake knows the younger is to come, they elect this specific perfume, and Sana wonders if they know about the memory they recall each time the Boar breathes in. Their tongue still remembers the taste of the cookies their mom used to cook - even though they can't remind what their mother looked like.  
Shisei isn't alone; the two other kemonotsuki are there too, Hokuto sitting at the table, Azuma standing at the stove, ready to light the fire. Great; it saves the mercenary the trouble of reaching them later.  
"Sana, you already ate, didn't you?" Azuma sounds almost disappointed, but not surprised. The Dog Spirit seems to know when someone's stomach is full, and Sana doesn't know how they do so, but they're right.  
"I had an appointment", they explain, taking the seat right next to Hokuto. "You know how Kyubi no Kitsune is, it would have been rude to refuse his food."  
Shisei's only reaction is a flutter of their eyelids. They don't seem to care about that kind of small talk; the Snake lives secluded, having retired from the world for a reason Sana has yet to discover, and they aren't very interested in their activities. At least they remember to ask how they are once in a while. Sana is used to this behaviour. It doesn't mean they like it, though.  
On the other hand, Azuma and Hokuto nod in agreement. Both know the kitsune might be difficult to handle if you rub him the wrong way; if you ever say the wrong thing about his ramen, you can consider yourself banned from his realm. Coincidentally, Sana is his favourite, no matter how rude they are, maybe because he knows Sana is willing to help him if necessary.  
"A new job, then?" Hokuto asks. The Tiger isn't that interested in Sana's business, as they make way more money in the gambling hall, for less effort than what Sana puts in their work. But Hokuto cares, in their own way. "Good luck, Sana."  
"Thanks", they mutter. Their eyes are on Shisei, who hasn't moved at all since Sana came in, as if not acknowledging their presence. The Boar Spirit doesn't like that, but they have to be patient if they want to grasp their attention.  
"Actually, I'll need your help for something", they add, still looking at Shisei. Once again, the Snake barely reacts; Hokuto shifts on their chair, and Azuma turns their head, frowning.  
"What is it? If you want me to cook your food then-"  
"No, I mean... how shall I put it... Your help for the job."  
The youngest of all kemonotsuki doesn't usually ask for assistance. They could - but they want to handle each mission on their own and not to think that their companions could look down on them if they fail. Nevertheless, so far, Sana has never failed. Their price sure is high but their worth is twice: as they can't stand contempt from their hirer, they often evince more zeal than necessary. More self-confidence too, except in Shisei's presence. Is it because the White Snake had seen through them at first glance? Or because the Wild Boar doesn't feel at all like lying under their reddish gaze? Both reasons are probably true. Sana's only desire from now is to hear Shisei's voice, no matter of how harsh it is. Hokuto smirks. "I'd almost bet the help you really need speaks with a forked tongue." But no one underlines the play of words. At least Sana shakes their head, getting rid of a small embarrassment they don't know where it comes from.  
"I guess all of you should play a part in this. It's a first ever for me and a lot of work, even for two people."  
"Stop being around the bush," Azuma orders while filling their ebony pipe with some medicinal herbs. "What are you in charge of, this time? A dragon's fang for an old hag?" The Eminent Tiger held back a grin when they saw their shill is utterly serious. But at these words Sana hopes mad whereas Shisei remains indifferent, so the Boar Spirit hardly raises their voice.  
"No! it's more… special. It involves, well, humans. Katanashu clansmen, to be precise."

Their confession casts a chill straight away. On their couch, the White Snake shudders with a cold rustle; immediately the mercenary turns to them - that was the reason why they were so cautious in the first place - but they couldn't say anything before they froze. Shisei have sit up then opened their eyes. Icy bloody eyes. If they had been awaken by their worst enemy, they surely would have made this kind of face, Sana thinks, and despite the young kemonotsuki isn't their adversary, they feel this way now. They only have hoped to be seen by the ancient reptile, maybe with a soft and warm glance: not like this. Not with this dark gaze which is throwing icicles in their heart.  
"Humans are but filthy traitors. No man is trustworthy", Shisei cuts.  
The almond scent goes sour. Hokuto and Azuma refrain from nodding but Sana suspects them to agree in silent and, rather than clenching their fists or their teeth, they move forward. "Uta doesn't seem like that. He's too much worried to pretend to be a liar."  
"So you calls him by his name?" Shisei's remark almost makes Sana turn on them. "It proves nothing."  
"Sure, but I don't have to trust him either to accomplish my mission. Consider that."  
The rogue kemonotsuki's look sharpens. The Boar's one smoothens.  
"Please, Shi-san. It's an important matter. Yokai are implied too."  
As this detail could make them change their mind.

Shisei's heart is as cold as their blood. Sana has always known that fact, and maybe the affection they feel for them is a remnant of their human emotions - bound to die once they lose the last memories of their previous life. It might be impossible for them to ignite a spark in Shisei's heart, but at least they want to try. Even if today is unsuccessful, and Shisei's gaze on them is threatening.  
"Are you in your right mind, Sana? Humans play with yokais as they please, using them as their tools and discarding them when they're bored of them. They'd use us too if they knew how to rein us in." The Snake sighs before adding: "Knowing you, that human told you he cared about a lost yokai of his, and you offered him to be taken as a replacement, right?"  
_Touché._ Shisei knows the Boar Spirit all too well, and Sana can't do anything to hide their true feelings. Their clients tell them they're mysterious, doing anything that is asked of them for money while showing what is considered "weird principles" - or, as Sana would say, values that were the norms fifty years ago. Shisei, on the hand, bares the youngest kemonotsuki's mind as if it was easy, not caring about their boundaries or their secrets. Azuma and Hokuto weren't aware of this hesitation of them, but now they look at Sana as if they were crazy.  
Still, Sana can't blame Shisei for being the way they are.  
"That's not what Uta wants. He wants his yokai back, and not as a _tool_ as you put it."  
Sana does not doubt the human's intents. After all, there's no way they're not able to recognize love when they'd use the same word to name their own feelings for Shisei. The White Snake chuckles. "The sooner you'll lose your memories, the best it will be for you. You're blinded by those useless emotions and it's unsightly to watch."  
Sana doesn't back down. "If you were in my shoes, you'd understand how complex the human mind is."  
As soon as the words leave their mouth, they regret them. Fighting Shisei is the last thing they want to do, and they're well aware the Snake Spirit will let them do whatever they want in the end. However, Sana wouldn't be satisfied if they were to lose their life before making up with Shisei - for a kemonotsuki is immortal, but can still be killed if too badly injured.

Neither Hokuto nor Azuma have spoken for the moment. They know arguing with the oldest of them all only goes to a dead end; either the White Snake is right and you lose, or they cut the discussion off and you lose as well. They act quite different with Sana, though. They bear the Boar's disagreement, often picking up on their defense to shut them down better but without spite. As if they wanted to teach them a lesson - and doing it thoughtlessly in the worst possible way. And Sana accepts this behavior. Not like they're ingenuous or untroubled; they just see something beyond Shisei's cruelty, beyond their harshness, something that is worth a thousand try. Hokuto and Azuma, on the contrary, dropped it a while ago, perhaps at the third time. No one could change an ancestral reptile's mind.  
Except, maybe, a stubborn beast.  
"Too bad I'm not wearing any shoe", Shisei grinds while revealing an ankle made of marble from under their flimsy veils. The sudden view makes Sana twitch. "I say: _don't count on me_. Dealing with humans only brings pain and remorse." That is when they blink twice, first with their human eyelid, then with their brille, the transparent eyelid of the snake. Their face is gorgeous yet dreadful, so despite their will the Wild Boar doesn't try to have the last word.  
Upset, they spin round to come back to the Tiger and the Dog who keep staring at them with a equivocal gaze, silently.

At that very moment Sana spares a thought for Uta, not as a client in need but as a man at a loss, and they feel an inch of guilt. They could understand this hole in their chest because they know right now Shisei looks away from them and this simple fact is digging a painful crack between their lungs.  
"At least can I count you in?" Sana asks the two others. "The katanashu has assured any retribution is okay, so that won't bother you, to give a hand?"  
A slight smirk slits Azuma's face. They're probably up to something. "Any retribution, really? If they're indeed katanashus, I'd like to get a certain artifact." This decision, although subjected to conditions, lifts the Boar's spirits.  
"What about you, Hokuto-san?"  
"If my help grants me interesting news about these clansmen, I'm in. Tell us more."  
But before Sana begins to reply, they hear a quick crumpling; Shisei's got to their feet and then got away from the three kemonotsukis in a keen move. They disappears like a slap on their cheek, and Sana feels the burn on their skin. However, they don't turn over. Sana comes to explain the situation to their peers there.


	2. Chapter 2

_The sky blue reflection rippled slightly above the swaying shapes._  
_The tiny one, smooth like a whitish worm, had just gone away while its three companions remained in the garden - he thought it was a garden yet he was not sure because of the cloudy atmosphere. There was a tabby cat, a brown puppy, and a sort of a cheeky wool ball that squeaks a lot in quite a cute way. For a moment, the yokai imagined he was watching a scene from a children's book and he wondered why his silver window was showing him these four little animals twisting and turning. Then he blew on the glass as he wanted to disperse the vapour his oracle had created; the surface shivered._  
_So did his shoulders._  
_At the end of the corridor which leads to his room, he suddenly heard some curt and cold steps. And before the doors opened, he was straight on his feet, his artefact put away, ready to bow._  
_He did not have to._

"Ungaikyo, come with me."

Momiji's voice is as clear as ever, his silhouette always striking. It seems he has pushed the heavy wooden doors without effort and now he's standing on the threshold, his backbone tight like a flawless blade, scrutinizing the yokai with this stare that has been, a long time ago - but the Celestial Mirror doesn't remember when -, less sullen. Stealing from the opposite Katanashu clan after his last fight hasn't affected the swordsman; he hasn't been touched by his own victory either. Momiji stays true to himself, austere and distant, and Ungaikyo has thought he could be content with this behaviour. But when he meets the human's eyes at this very moment, he feels helpless as he isn't able to pull out the needle that has been stuck between his ribs.  
Maybe he wishes his master changes his mind.  
Ungaikyo assents with a nod of his head then he silently follows the katanashu along the golden halls and the reddening tapestries of their residence. Momiji doesn't speak until they gather with Kasane and Madoka in the main entrance, so the yokai can concentrate on the thousands of rustles around them: their velvety footsteps, their sabres' slim jingling, the luminous shine in the human's hair each time he walks in front of a window and the swish of the crimson wave he's wearing like a sleeveless coat. Sometimes Ungaikyo dislikes his actual life for it is too warlike. However, in times like these he also forgets all the pain he's caused for years and years.

Then his master salutes his two superiors and the violence comes back to his reality.  
"Good morning", Momiji says, his voice almost hostile and sharp.  
"Good morning, Momiji", Kasane says; then his eyes land on Ungaikyo for a second. The yokai bows his head, but not out of respect. "Are you done with your report?"  
Ungaikyo doesn't understand the bonds between humans very well. What he can see is that Momiji doesn't care a lot about those two people. Not that he cares about Ungaikyo either; the yokai has never seen a glint of affection in his violet eyes, and he has learnt to live with this fact. He doesn't need affection, or any kind of feeling, as long as he's recognized for his worth.  
Momiji keeps his composure; he nods. He has never been fond of words, and most of his interactions with Ungaikyo are silent: they understand each other.  
"Did your yokai check his mirror?" Madoka asks, not bothering to ask Ungaikyo himself.  
Momiji casts the yokai a glance, allowing him to speak, and Ungaikyo replies:  
"I only saw animals. Nothing interesting."  
"Animals?" Kasane repeats. Ungaikyo was hoping he would drop the subject, but he doesn't seem to be willing to let it go that easily. "Yokais?"  
_Or something else._ "No, I believe there were regular animals. As I already said before, the Celestial Mirror doesn't always show relevant pictures." He's not insolent, only stating a fact. Ungaikyo knows the limits. He follows them strictly, not interested in playing with his restraints. This is a yoke he chose for himself and he'll bear it until his last breath.  
Kasane sighs. He sounds tired when he adds: "Alright, then. Momiji, go with him to check the isolation cell. Madoka and I are busy."

Momiji nods again, and the two superiors walk away. Ungaikyo is relieved. With the two of them present, the prospect of a fight never leaves his mind; he's nothing but a tool, never knows when he's going to bathe his hands in blood. He's reminded of all the lives he has taken, the ones he killed and the ones he broke - just like the three rotting in the cell, waiting for release or death, whichever comes first. While Ungaikyo doesn't find it problematic, he'd rather forget about his misdeeds.

Momiji's purple irises, on him, burn like a thousand suns. "You lied."

The Celestial Mirror shrugs. "I am bound to you, not them." He was bound to Momiji's family, at first; he followed their rules out of obligation, treated them the same way he treats Kasane and Madoka. Except that he never lied about his visions; with his mirror in his masters' hands, he had no choice but to comply. Momiji was different. He was indifferent, cruel without malice, almost broken. What was in his heart, hatred or pain, Ungaikyo has never known. But now, Momiji has emptied his body from these emotions, and the yokai wonders if it's truly a good thing for him. It feels like serving a doll, sometimes.  
"Then you'll tell me later." It's not an order; no need to. "Let's go see our prisoners."  
A long time ago, the Celestial Mirror remembers, the swordsman had held all the fragments of his looking glass within his own palms wide open; at that time the feeling of being safe and sound had overwhelmed his heart. Nowadays Momiji keeps holding him but under the Katanashu's yoke and his peaceful sentiment has disappeared - he doesn't believe it can come back. Even when the human pretty much regards him, the distance between them doesn't decrease. He resigned himself. He obeys, as this is the very last thing he is able to do, convincing his will that it's better than losing their relationship, insignificant as it may be. He doesn't know when _later_ will be. For sure, not while they are going downstairs to the cells.

This part of the Station is plunged into darkness; walking along this twilight seems like slowly sinking into a starless night. Ungaikyo doesn't need to light one torch to see where he goes, but his master resorts to a little shikigami whose hair shines bright like a blue fire and that is floating right before him - when it speaks, you hear cracklings. Its bluish glare paints sour shades on Momiji's face, a pale gleam that echoes down to his voice:  
"Wake up, you three. Have you change your mind already?"  
From the depths of the prison, nothing moves. Despite the silence, the yokai makes out the silhouettes of his unlucky fellows creatures, though he won't commiserate with them. _What if it's my turn to be stolen?_ He never really thinks about it, maybe because he believes in his owner's strength. But it was probably what was thinking those three yokais too, before being defeated then captured by men they have judged as enemies.  
"The sooner you submit the sooner you get out of there. Stop withstanding, it's useless." The clansman hits.  
More than using torture, he should grind them down with despair, and in this ground, Ungaikyo knows he'll win since his patience is matchless. He hasn't outlived his father for a reason.

This time, the humans hooked two big ones.  
The third one, with the name of Kamaitachi, is obviously no fighter, and he's the most likely to yield first. Ungaikyo wouldn't be surprised to learn this yokai is only participating in this folly for the sake of one person. In his opinion, Kamaitachi is also the most human; he looks at them as a man accustomed to dealing with human beings, someone who isn't afraid of that kind of contact or of the darkness filling one's heart. Yokais are usually reluctant to get close to people who love to enslave them, but Kamaitachi isn't. In other circumstances, Ungaikyo would have enjoyed talking with him. He feels they have something in common, an affection similar to a spark, dangerous for them.  
The two others, however... The Water Dragon, Mizuchi, is famous for his strong aura and his devastating powers, but most think he's nothing but a legend. If Kasane hadn't chosen the appropriate site putting him at disadvantage, Ungaikyo wouldn't be breathing anymore. He's not afraid of the dragon, but it is clear Mizuchi does not desire to be involved in other conflicts. Unfortunately, Momiji seems interested in him. Mizuchi is gentle and pliant, the kind of yokai he likes the most, so he's destined to become his prey.  
Ungaikyo doesn't like to fight. He'll do what Momiji tells him to.  
The last yokai is the real problem.  
"Don't get ahead of yourself, human. The only reason you're still alive is because of my promise to Uta. I wouldn't mind killing you otherwise."

Karasutengu, the Great Raven - also one of the most powerful yokais of this world, and definitely the most irritating one - sits in a corner of the cell, half-covered by a veil of darkness. His fan lies at his feet, close to his beautiful kimono splayed on the ground around him, tainted by blood and dirt. Now, this yokai scares Ungaikyo. Why is he sitting still, he who doesn't want to serve his new katanashu clan, when he could leave whenever he pleases? Kamaitachi is bound by fear, Mizuchi by honour; yet the thing tying Karasutengu down remains a mystery.

Momiji is not afraid of him. His eyes look down on him with no fear at all, only an unfathomable disdain. "Uta is the reason you're in there. Do I have to promise I won't make you fight him? I don't mind making concessions with you."  
Momiji hates negotiating, and his word can't be trusted. Even if he promises he'd respect Karasutengu's wishes, in the end, once he's become the master, he will forget about them. And Ungaikyo won't remind him, either. That's what being under Momiji's thumb means. Katanashu swordsmen aren't used to controlling more than one spiritual creature at once. When they capture a better yokai and make them their partner, they just drop their last weapon or give them to a beginner. Until now, Ungaikyo has always believed that Momiji couldn't get rid of him because he belongs to his family - as a paternal treasure, for sure, but he belongs to it. But in front of Karasutengu, or even Mizuchi, he's not as confident as he used to be. Nonetheless, Kasane or Madoka must respectively appropriate the Water Dragon and the Great Raven, so the Celestial Mirror isn't threatened by Kamaitachi; when it comes to battle, he knows he's more competent than this mischief. Without doubt. Momiji wouldn't let him go for such a pointless greenhorn.

Why does he feel that way then?

His master's face, despite the penumbra, does not seem darker. He looks like his own father just before a tournament; eagle-eyed, fists clenched, head up - at the furthest limit of mankind - imperial. Karasutengu isn't impressed, yet he recognizes people whom posture unleashes a natural authority. If these two opponents put their enmity aside, they would be the strongest of Katanashu team; an aim that can't become reality as long as the Great Raven doesn't submit to. And as strange as it sounds, his stubbornness is a shield for Ungaikyo too.  
"No need. I won't hear your swank." The defeated yokai hisses.  
Immediately Mizuchi tries to extend an olive branch, in vain; his large hand, hindered by spiritual chains, half raises like a parched flower. Despite the fact that Karasutengu and he have already fought together, right beside their own partners, they're not friends, so they don't always know how to handle each other's black mood. The kind of humour Momiji knows how to cloud just a little bit more, with few words:  
"Maybe you will stop being headstrong when you watch me cut your _former_ human's neck off."  
Mizuchi and Kamaitachi gasp all at once. The Great Raven, he, grits his teeth. Though he can't reply before the clansman spins around and draws away in silence, without restlessness - judging the discussion is over for now. Momiji isn't the type that bound himself with a foolish pledge, after all; the Celestial Mirror is.  
But at this moment, as he's walking behind his master to go back up, he suddenly wishes he remains smashed into a billion pieces inside a dusty drawer.

* * *

_There was water all around them. The human wasn't afraid of water, as they could swim well, but they were more than the human, and other memories flew in their head as they started to kick their feet to get out. The boar didn't like water at all._  
_The fur lying on the bank was theirs, but they didn't want to get it wet, so they left it. Someone was dancing behind the trees. No, they were only moving, but their gestures were so graceful it truly looked like a dance. The new kemonotsuki blinked. They walked closer, and the person turned their head as soon as they heard their steps. Hair as fair as a winter sun, eyes of a reddish shade of brown, and a slender body engulfed behind a light shawl - they were so beautiful the boar could only stare in awe._  
_Then the other smiled and said: "Welcome, Sana."_

Humans think they rule over Hikagemachi. Yet there are still some places they have no control over, places they don't even imagine the existence - and Sana is bringing Uta to one of them.  
A gut feeling tells the katanashu he is introduced to one of the town's deepest secrets, and he's honoured of the confidence. He never thought there would be a path behind one of the small houses lined up along the main road. A tiny, tortuous path full of brambles and bushes, and Uta has to look at his feet if he doesn't want to stumble. Before him, Sana is walking with him. They are one of the forest animals, of course, so such vegetation doesn't bother them.  
"How much further?" he asks, and he hears Sana snorting.  
"Why, you're already tired, human? Good luck saving your yokai if you can't handle this path."  
Uta grits his teeth. Who said something about exhaustion? He's only wondering how long they're going to keep walking. Yet he doesn't reply anything. The thought of Karasutengu lying at his feet, all in red and white, never leaves him alone, so even if he was tired, he would use all his energy to follow Sana. Besides, the sight is pretty - and dangerous, but that's the nature of beauty. Flowers escort them, colourful buds withdrawn into themselves, as if they were afraid of seeing a human. The surroundings were plunged into darkness; the night was falling quick on this part of the town.

"Before we meet Hokuto, there are a few things you need to know about them", Sana warns him, and Uta stops looking around him to focus on the kemonotsuki's back. "They won't help you out of kindness. They might not say what they expect of you, but they'll ask for a reward once we're done."  
Uta doesn't see the problem. "What do they want?" Money? Jewels? Promises that can't be broken by anything except death? He's ready to give anything.  
"This is a supposition, but they might ask you about your Katanashu. Hokuto likes to gather intel and to sell them at a high price, but your human clans are still a mystery to us. To them, that would be the greatest reward."  
Uta understands, now. He's been asked if he's ready to betray his clan for Karasutengu. This is, without a doubt, a test, but he doubts it comes from Sana. Sana is only interested in money, and while they're not loyal, they are at least trustworthy enough to be a mercenary. This Hokuto, on the other hand... Uta doesn't know anything about them. He thinks about Hanabusa and Aoi, about the sadness in their eyes when they resigned to their fate, accepting the loss of their partners. Uta is also fighting for them who gave up because of the rules. But if he reveals their secrets, he won't have a place to come back.

Even if Uta is ready to let his colleagues' mysteries down all for Karasutengu's sake, he isn't sure they'd do the same for their own yokais - as much as they consider them as their _own_. That could be more the case for Aoi and Kamaitachi, maybe, because the second one belongs to the first's family, but even, Uta can't say it's true. Speaking about it, he realizes he isn't very close to both of the swordsmen; since he has given up on his former clan, he can't trust anyone enough. Except for the Great Raven. Kasane's probably never forgiven him for leaving; he keeps in mind the dirty glance his chief shot him when he decided to take his leave. Because Kasane rarely looks askance at anybody, you guess something's really bothering him when he does so - and Uta remembers distinctly the dark glint behind the glasses at that time. It's possible Kasane takes avenge on the deserter by holding his yokai by the throat. However, it's strange to imagine the Katanashu leader lowering himself to such mean revenge, even if Uta has learned this swordsman, deep down, remains as sly as he doesn't seem to be.

"Lost in your thoughts?" Sana teases. "You better stay vigilant until you leave this place. Some species of shikigami here steal memories."  
Indeed, the more Uta walks along this sinuous path, cluttered with hairy roots and glimmering leaves, the more he discerns among the vegetation tiny little shapes staring at him like bells with twinkling eyes. He hasn't time to linger over them, but as he follows Sana he keeps feeling their glare on his shoulders. Their _unsettling_ thirst for his human heart. The Wild Boar appears to move without noticing them; sometimes they even jostle the foliage or jump to whack a high branch, that makes shikigami fall down like gleaming snow. So Uta stops suddenly before being touched then sees his guide sneering in front of him. He doesn't know yet if he can trust them, if this place isn't a trap he has blindly fallen into. The kemonotsuki's wry smile, their savage glance, their untamed manners: he must be suspicious about everything, but Karasutengu's loss is leading him astray. He just wants to put an end to this unbearable absence.  
"We've almost arrived. It's time to prove your loyalty!"  
Sana obviously is making fun of him, so much that Uta holds his dig back.

Soon the way widens to a small cobbled courtyard, surrounded by wooden facades decorated with red or blue paper lanterns. The place looks uninhabited, though muted lights appear inside few houses, upstairs. A campanula scent comes from the flowerbeds just outside the buildings. _Too innocent-looking to be so._  
When Sana pushes the door open, the silence is deafening. Uta feels like he has lost his hearing until the kemonotsuki's steps resonate. The air is hot, too warm for a small cottage in the middle of the forest with no source of heating. The flower fragrance leaves way to a rather feline smell, like the lair of a beast.  
He goes in hesitantly, not sure he is actually welcomed in his housing.  
A man is sitting at a table, turning his back to the entry. Uta notices the fur on their shoulders, colours close to their hair, and their large build. Then they turn back, red eyes behind a pair of glasses, observing him as if evaluating him.  
"So you're Uta? Welcome to my humble abode", they greet him. Their voice is deeper than Sana's, but there's something in common between the two of them, although Uta wouldn't be able to point out what. Their similitude is obvious, maybe because there's something surrounding kemonotsukis, a special air that gives them a peculiar attitude. They're different from the rest of the world, that is all Uta can tell.  
"Thank you very much, Hokuto", Uta greets him, bowing his head to express his respect. He knows human beings are often seen as a threat, and while he doesn't think Hokuto considers him like that, he wants to prove he's not just a katanashu who work yokais out like slaves. He wants to be perceived as different.  
Hokuto stares at him for a few seconds before reporting their attention to Sana.

The Wild Boar doesn't realize it's their turn to speak. For a second, they look like lost in thoughts, their eyes almost close upon an aquamarine shimmering as they're staring at a tiny bench pushed in a corner of the room. There's no light enough for Uta to see it clearly, for him it's just a useless piece of furniture, but Sana's wandering doesn't escape from his elder fellow. It probably reminds them of a bigger one, covered by bright draperies and evanescent fabrics, on which someone likes to lay down.  
Hokuto doesn't have to hawk for the young kemontsuki to turn back to them. They don't seem caught in the act, to be honest, and their face shows no qualm - nothing but the usual mischief. Probably because Sana knows that no secret remains in Hokuto's presence; they read minds like they read palms, one breath is all they need to do so, one peep. At the very moment Uta and Sana have crossed the doorstep of this house, they have accepted to be the Tiger's preys, for the sake of truth.  
"What should I say?" Sana shrugs. "I'm not the one who craves answers."  
Hokuto smirks in reply, guessing they won't even assume their real cravings. Sure this kid can have a vicious tongue, but if one day anybody puts them in front of their duty, there will be blood.

"So, Uta…" Deep inside Hokuto's words, the swordsman hears some kind of whir. He has been about to sink into their dark gaze, whose golden gleam is of a cymophane, when the kemonotsuki's question fishes him out: "... as this room could be a boat in which we've been gathered, let's say we're all friends here, right? And as friends, you agree there's no place for lies nor imbalance between us? Because if there is, our boat is going to capsize and it'd be pretty regretful. Especially for you, in fact."  
Uta is trying to keep his heart calm. Even though he doesn't really feel in danger, with his sword on his side, he can't help shivering under the threat. Indeed, in this discussion, he's the only one who has something to lose.  
"Don't worry, I'm not such a bad sailor. Not without a reason, I mean. I just will it to be clear: it's a give and take situation. You ask, I answer. I ask, you answer. If you don't follow this basic rule, I shall pick up the information myself… and you don't want this to happen, I swear. Understood?"  
The katanashu nods silently. Is it the hardly masked warning or Hokuto's perfect composure that persuades him not to trifle with them? Even Sana, who went to sit on the little bench, doesn't venture to make a joke. The Eminent Tiger smiles with satisfaction.  
"Perfect. I'm in a good mood, so after you."

"Do you…" There is an infinity of questions he could ask at the moment, but he realizes there is only one he needs to know the answer. Or two, maybe, but both are the same deep down. And since Hokuto promises they would answer… "Do you know where Karasutengu is kept?"  
Hokuto stares, a smile cracking on their face. "This is a dangerous game you're playing, human. If I offer you the answer you crave, I'll demand you a much greater price in return."  
"I don't mind", Uta says with no hesitation. "My secrets are all yours if you ask."  
The kemonotsuki blinks, as if surprised by his forwardness. Next to them, Sana hides their mouth behind their hand. But Uta doesn't falter. He means every word he has uttered since he had met them; he's willing to throw everything away for the sake of his partner.  
And he thought Hokuto would open up to him, but instead, they say: "I cannot answer this interrogation of yours for the moment. Even I have limited knowledge of the katanashu's safe places."  
Their voice dies down, and they look at Uta, inviting him to ask another question. "But you know some of them."  
"Why, I do." Hokuto doesn't elaborate. Uta guesses it's fair, according to the rules their set. A part of him starts to wonder what will happen if he's the only one asking questions for now - he supposed he will have to, at some point. "But don't you know some of them, too?"  
The question startles Uta. How do they… no, of course they would be aware of his previous bond with Kasane. However, it never occurred to him that Kasane would still use some of their previous safe places; even if he does, there is no way Karasutengu is there. Kasane would never let him get back his yokai, that's why Uta didn't even try to look at these places. "Places I don't even have to check. For obvious reasons."  
Sana gives him a look of interest. Uta guesses they never imagined he would personally know Kasane, and he worries it could threaten their partnership.

Katanashu's name is flowing inside the Boar's mind like a distant wisp of smoke, yet too far from them to sting their eyes. Perhaps it's just a faded memory they thought they would leave behind; they hadn't even paid attention to it except for a prideful reason, for money's issue, but now that they've discovered Uta's reluctance about this obviousness, it's like a thread of wool they're longing to draw towards them. They know Shisei hates humans, especially those who treat yokais like soulless weapons, but above all they hate lies. That's why Sana didn't tell they aren't there only to guide Uta; their first role inside this room is being the eye and the ear of the White Snake - their truth bearer. If the katanashu is indeed undeserving, they will know quickly.

"Sometimes, the trickiest, the easiest to find out. We often think too much about what seems too hard, losing sight of the basics."  
Hokuto's voice is roaring gently. Uta guesses they don't try to ensnare him; for them, it's just a game in which they've already win and human flesh isn't a price they pray for. The more knowledge they get, the more they will be satisfied. Maybe to witness the swordsman's convictions crumbling is just an extra reward.  
"So you suggest I look into this kind of places."  
Keeping his position while he wants to run to Kasane's headquarter at once costs him an unbearable effort. To the two kemonotsukis, the struggle inside him is clear enough and they will gauge him with his next reaction.  
"I say what I say", Hokuto grinds. "Nothing more and nothing less. I'm not your counsellor." Then Sana takes advantage of the silence to yawn by boredom. "My turn now…" adds The Eminent Tiger before waiting a little bit.  
Uta frowns. _They're taking care of their effect. What do they hide?_ It doesn't take long to get the answer:  
"I believe the biggest secret of you all, humans, is about your names... and I'd love discovering how it works. I won't ask for yours or even your fellows', don't worry, but I'm sure you can tell me about the way you use it. Can't you?"

Uta smiles.

Hokuto is playing a dangerous game too. Knowing someone's name means holding power over them, however, it can easily backfire. That's why he doesn't know the others' true names, not even Kasane's, and why he hasn't given his even to Karasutengu. Not because he doesn't trust him, on the contrary; because this would be a burden. And Karasutengu has always refused to hold this secret.  
" _We_ don't use the power of those names. We don't have the strength to draw it out." No matter how dangerous humans are, they can't be their worst enemies. "They're the key to our soul, however. Make us do things against our will, if you're strong enough."  
He notices how interested Hokuto looks; they might want to use it on someone, someday. However, a promise is a promise and Uta won't back down. He's not afraid of losing his soul.  
"How do you get those names?"  
Uta shrugs. "No idea. We know them and that's it. I've known mine from a very young age."  
Hokuto smiles. "I see. But this still doesn't give me an answer. _How_ would you use it?"  
They're not subtle at all, and Uta winks. "Well, you asked two questions and I answered one. Two questions is a clear breach of our contract, unless you're willing to reply to another question of mine."  
Hokuto stares at Uta, threatening. Uta doesn't look away. He's not impressed by a kemonotsuki like them; nobody can be as scary as Karasutengu when he's furious. And Uta wouldn't go down without a fight.

Then Hokuto bursts out laughing. "Ah, you're right, human. Damn it, I always ask too many questions… Alright. Give me the answer, and I'll give you another one in return."  
Everything in the kemonotsuki's behaviour shouts that they aren't the type to roll up their sleeves. They only want to know, to _possess_ knowledge, not to get their hands dirty by using it against their enemies - or maybe they would do so, but if the reward is much better than the price. That's why Uta believes he's safe; none of his opponents will know that the Eminent Tiger has talked to him, and he's given answers parsimoniously, watching for his own back in the event of a problem. He is accustomed to being wary about the whole world. Though he didn't think it would be worse without Karasutengu.  
"Okay then, he shrugs, I'll say it: I don't know. I really don't. I never used this power myself and I never saw anyone using it neither. Sometimes, I could even think it's a myth if I didn't know my own."  
Hokuto doesn't have to check inside the swordsman's mind to trust his words. They are disappointed, for sure, yet Sana's presence makes them kind of lenient; they won't break the Wild Boar's guest for so little.  
"Well, well, too bad… That's quite useless."

A sight from them tempts Uta to take the floor once again:  
"I've already wasted too much of your time and I don't feel like being further ahead. There's something else I must know, however."  
The Tiger lifts an eyebrow, their chin upon their crossed fingers. Even Sana looks curious.  
"Is Karasutengu alright?"  
The question takes the two kemonotsukis by surprise. On Hokuto's face are showing their teeth - _let's see_ \- restraining themselves from laughing. Instead, they close their eyes, sit back on their chair, remain silent one moment. As if they are communicating with some invisible forces. Each second is a torment for Uta. And finally, the Tiger declares:  
"He's safe. He's seen better days, but he's not in pain. Relieved?"  
Enough to feel like breathing again, Uta notes as his chest starts quivering.  
"I do thank you", he replies with a quick nod.  
Then Sana makes the most of the opportunity to chip in, suddenly impatient:  
"You should have begun with it, if it's the only thing you care about!" and the katanashu can't find fault with them because they're absolutely right. _Nothing is more important than Karasutengu's safety._ That's one of the reasons why he couldn't contest the consequences of his defeat; it'd be worse if he did so.

Surprise flashes over Hokuto's face and disappears. As if a human couldn't love a yokai more than themselves. Uta is used to these stares, though, he knows he's an exception. Love isn't a rare feeling, yet people who could move mountains for their beloved are few.  
"Do you have more questions, human?"  
Uta does. However, if his partner is safe and if he has to check the hidden places he already knows of, then he has all he needs for his plan. He's surprised Kasane wouldn't be more cautious… as if he wanted to be caught. The possibility of this being a trap is high, but Uta has no choice: he must go.  
"No, thank you very much."  
"Then I hope you can find your partner soon", Hokuto confesses. "You're an interesting person, Uta, and if you have any other question, I'd be glad to learn more about the Katanashu."  
The Eminent Tiger gets up. "I'd love to invite you for a meal, but I don't cook. Say, Sana, do you believe we can invite him to Azuma's?"  
Sana shrugs. "They're going to complain. Yes, let's invite him."

Uta opens his mouth to reject the offer, but he changes his mind and nods. He's fascinated by the Spirit Realm and its inhabitants; ever since he met Karasutengu, he has gathered information about yokais, but he knows next to nothing about kemonotsukis. Aren't they supposed to be former humans? What happened to their former memories? their former personality? How do they interact with yokais?  
Uta is aware he won't find the answers to these questions. It's fine. He starts to think he'd like to be Sana's friend, after all.


End file.
